U.S. patent application number 12/788919 was filed with the patent office on 2010-12-02 for processing device and method for coating a rudder unit of an aircraft.
This patent application is currently assigned to AIRBUS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH. Invention is credited to Dirk BAUSEN, Rolf BENSE, Karl HAUSMANN, Birgit KUHLENSCHMIDT, Daniel LAHIDJANIAN.
Application Number | 20100304039 12/788919 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43028369 |
Filed Date | 2010-12-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100304039 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
BAUSEN; Dirk ; et
al. |
December 2, 2010 |
PROCESSING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR COATING A RUDDER UNIT OF AN
AIRCRAFT
Abstract
A processing device for coating a surface of a rudder unit of an
aircraft includes a plurality of spatially delimited work stations,
wherein each of the plurality of work stations are disposed in
succession and are configured to produce an assembly line-like
coating process, wherein the plurality of work stations. The work
stations include a pretreating station configured to activate the
surface so as to form an activated surface; a painting station
disposed downstream of the pretreating station and configured to
paint the activated surface with at least one layer of paint having
a first color so as to form a painted surface and configured to dry
the painted surface immediately after the painting; and a
decorating station.
Inventors: |
BAUSEN; Dirk; (Harsefeld,
DE) ; LAHIDJANIAN; Daniel; (Hamburg, DE) ;
KUHLENSCHMIDT; Birgit; (Hamburg, DE) ; HAUSMANN;
Karl; (Hamburg, DE) ; BENSE; Rolf; (Jork,
DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Leydig, Voit & Mayer, Ltd. (Frankfurt office)
Two Prudential Plaza, Suite 4900, 180 North Stetson Avenue
Chicago
IL
60601-6731
US
|
Assignee: |
AIRBUS DEUTSCHLAND GMBH
Hamburg
DE
|
Family ID: |
43028369 |
Appl. No.: |
12/788919 |
Filed: |
May 27, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61181370 |
May 27, 2009 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
427/488 ;
118/72 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B05D 1/32 20130101; B05B
16/20 20180201; B64F 5/10 20170101; B05D 7/57 20130101; B05D 3/0263
20130101; B05D 3/12 20130101; B05D 5/06 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
427/488 ;
118/72 |
International
Class: |
C08F 2/46 20060101
C08F002/46; B05C 13/02 20060101 B05C013/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
May 27, 2009 |
DE |
10 2009 022 795.4 |
Claims
1. A processing device for coating a surface of a rudder unit of an
aircraft, the device comprising: a plurality of spatially delimited
work stations disposed in succession so that the rudder unit can be
moved to each work station in succession, wherein the plurality of
work stations includes: a pretreating station configured to
activate the surface so as to form an activated surface; a painting
station disposed downstream of the pretreating station and
configured to paint the activated surface with at least one layer
of paint having a first color so as to form a painted surface and
configured to dry the painted surface after the painting; and a
decorating station disposed downstream of the painting station and
configured to apply a pattern having a second color different from
the first color, wherein the pattern includes at least one of a
letter and a picture motif.
2. The processing device as recited in claim 1, wherein each of the
plurality of work stations includes at least one partition wall
having a movable door element.
3. The processing device as recited in claim 1, further comprising
a continuous work floor connecting each of the plurality of work
stations and a plurality of parallel transport rails configured to
move the rudder unit to each of the plurality of work stations.
4. The processing device as recited in claim 1, further comprising
a mobile holding device for the rudder unit disposed on the
parallel transport rails.
5. The processing device as recited in claim 4, further comprising
an auxiliary motor drive configured to displace the mobile holding
device between the plurality of work stations.
6. The processing device as recited in claim 1, wherein the
plurality of work stations each include a work platform disposed on
a first side and a second side of the rudder unit configured to
enable a manual processing of the surface.
7. The processing device as recited in claim 6, wherein a height of
the work platform is electromotively or hydraulically adjustable
such that the entire rudder unit is reachable.
8. The processing as recited in claim 1, further comprising a
gantry robot disposed in each work station on each side of the
rudder unit configured to automatically process the surface of the
rudder unit.
9. A method for coating a surface of a rudder unit of an aircraft,
the method comprising: moving the rudder unit to a pretreating
station; activating the surface of the rudder unit in the
pretreating station so as to form an activated surface; moving the
rudder unit to a painting station; painting the activated surface
with at least one layer of paint having a first color in the
painting station so as to form a painted surface; drying the
painted surface after the painting in the painting station; moving
the rudder unit into a decorating station; and applying a pattern
having a second color different from the first color in the
decorating station, wherein the pattern includes at least one of a
letter and a picture motif.
10. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising cleaning
the surface in the pretreating station prior to the activating and
precoating the activated surface with a primer in the pretreating
station so as to promote adhesion of the at least one layer of
paint, wherein the activating is performed using a plasma.
11. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising applying a
protective clear paint in the painting station after the painting
step and wherein the drying includes drying the painted surface
using infrared drying.
12. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the applying of the
pattern is performed using masked spray painting and further
comprising subsequently covering the pattern with a clear
protective paint in the decorating station.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATIONS
[0001] Priority is claimed to German Patent Application No. DE 10
2009 022 795.4, filed May 27, 2009 and to U.S. Provisional
Application No. 61/181,370, filed May 27, 2009. The entire
disclosure of both applications is incorporated by reference
herein.
[0002] The invention pertains to a processing device for coating a
tail assembly of an aircraft, the surface of which was already
primed in preparation. Furthermore, the invention also pertains to
a method for operating such a processing device.
[0003] The field of application of the present invention concerns
the construction of aircraft, particularly the manufacture of
larger types of aircraft for transporting passengers and cargo.
Such aircraft feature wings that are laterally arranged on a
large-volume fuselage, as well as an elevator and rudder unit on
the tail end. The rudder unit, in particular, has a relatively
large surface in a side view of an aircraft of the presently
interesting type, wherein this large surface usually serves for
applying lettering, picture motifs and other identifying or
artistic motifs. This requires special manufacturing steps during
the course of the surface coating of an aircraft being
manufactured, wherein these manufacturing steps need to be exactly
adapted to one another with respect to content and time in order to
ensure an efficient manufacture.
BACKGROUND
[0004] WO 2006/026240 A1 discloses a processing device for coating
a rudder unit. A graphic picture motif is automatically applied
onto a ready-painted surface by means of a robot. The rudder unit
is held in the upright position by a carrier platform. A gantry
robot is arranged to both sides of the rudder unit, wherein the
three movable spatial axes of said gantry robot move an application
head with a plurality of fluid nozzles for pigmented ink in
accordance with a control so as to apply the desired motif. In this
case, a vacuum holding device serves for the distance control
between the application head and the curved surface of the rudder
unit.
[0005] In such a decoration of the rudder unit, the quality of the
applied letter or picture motif depends on the previously applied
paint. This paint needs to be sufficiently dry and also cannot be
covered with a dust layer or other contaminants that would require
another surface cleaning prior to the decorating step.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] An aspect of the present invention is to develop a
processing device and a method for coating the rudder unit of an
aircraft which allow a high manufacturing quality for a decoration
with a letter or picture motif within a minimal manufacturing
time.
[0007] The invention includes the process technology characteristic
of carrying out a coating process similar to an assembly line by
providing several successive and spatially delimited work stations
that comprise a pretreating station for at least the surface
activation of the sanded surface of the rudder unit, a downstream
painting station for painting the activated surface with at least
one layer and for drying the painted surface immediately
thereafter, as well as a downstream decorating station for applying
letter and/or picture motifs of contrasting color referred to the
paint.
[0008] An advantage of the inventive solution can be seen, in
particular, in that the directly adjacent arrangement of the work
stations makes it possible to realize the entire process in an
automated fashion such that no intermediate storage is required.
Since an intermediate storage would require special covering
measures for protecting the surfaces from dust, the manufacturing
expenditures are reduced accordingly with the inventive assembly
line-like processing device. Due to the automation, the complete
final painting with a decoration can be realized within
standardized cycle times depending on the letter or picture motif
to be applied. In addition, the emissions of paints and solvents
are minimized and the concentration of the processing space
achieved with the inventive processing device contributes to energy
savings, as well as to improving the surface quality.
[0009] According to one measure partition walls with movable door
elements may be provided for spatially delimiting the adjacent
cabin-shaped work stations. In order to completely seal off, in
particular, the painting station relative to the environment, this
painting station can be designed such that it is closed on all
sides and therefore has a closed cabin-like shape. The door
elements are arranged on opposite lateral surfaces of the work
station and preferably realized in the form of roller shutters.
When a rudder unit is transported into the work station or--after
its completion--transported out of the work station, it suffices to
briefly open the door elements in order to advance the rudder unit
by one work cycle such that hardly any dust is admitted into the
work station or--vice versa--hardly any solvent vapors escape from
the work station into the surroundings.
[0010] In order to realize an unobstructed transport of the rudder
unit from work station to work station, it is proposed in
accordance with another measure that enhances the invention to
provide a continuous work floor that connects the adjacent work
stations and is provided with transport rails that extend parallel
to one another, wherein the rudder unit preferably can be moved
along said transport rails on a mobile holding device. The mobile
holding device may be realized similar to a rolling truck and
maintains a defined moving direction due to the guide rails such
that a rudder unit transported into a work station can always be
identically positioned relative to the work equipment arranged
therein with simple means and minimal adjusting effort.
[0011] It suffices if the carriage-like holding device is manually
displaced between the work stations. After the nominal position is
reached, brakes serve for fixing the exact position relative to the
work station. However, it would also be conceivable to equip the
carriage-like holding device with an auxiliary motor in order to
transport the rudder unit between the work stations in a
power-assisted fashion. In this case, it is appropriate to
synchronize the control for the auxiliary motors of the holding
devices of all work stations in order to simultaneously advance all
rudder units situated in the work stations by one work cycle.
Alternatively, an auxiliary motor may also be arranged on the
rails, for example, in the frame of a chain conveyor or the
like.
[0012] The inventive processing device that serves for realizing an
efficient coating cycle may be fitted with different work
equipment. For example, it is proposed to respectively equip all
work stations with a work platform to both sides of the rudder
unit. The work platforms enable the specialized personnel to reach
the entire surface of the rudder unit to be processed in order to
carry out, in particular, manual cleaning tasks, masking tasks and
the like. This measure serves for the quality assurance because a
rudder unit of presently interesting commercial aircraft frequently
has an areal extent of several meters. The work platforms
preferably should be adjustable with respect to their height in a
hydraulic or electromotive fashion, wherein the specialized
personnel can activate the work platforms from a control panel or
the like.
[0013] It is furthermore proposed to equip each work station with a
robot, preferably a gantry robot, for automatically processing the
surface of the rudder unit in addition to such a work platform or
alternatively to a work platform. The robot serves, in particular,
for carrying out difficult and harmful production steps such as the
painting or the drying process. For this purpose, the robot moves a
spray head or a radiant infrared dryer or the like. A tool change
can also be automated in this case. The utilization of a robot
ensures a high manufacturing quality, particularly during the
painting and decorating steps, such that defined layer thicknesses
can be easily observed and the formation of runs during the
painting process and other manual influential factors can be
precluded.
[0014] Depending on the product requirements or customer
specifications, various processing steps that are discussed in
greater detail below can be flexibly carried out in the individual
work stations.
[0015] At least a surface activation of the rudder unit surface
takes place in the pretreating station. The rudder unit is already
primed and sanded. The surface activation is preferably carried out
by means of plasma and serves for preparing the surface for the
subsequent painting step. An optional cleaning of the surface may
also be carried out within the pretreating station prior to the
surface activation. After the surface activation by means of
plasma, the surface can--depending on the properties of the
paint--be precoated with a primer that serves for promoting the
adhesion of the paint to be subsequently applied. In addition, a
manual masking of the components of the rudder unit that should not
be coated such as, for example, actuators, hinges and the like can
also be carried out within the pretreating station. This is
preferably realized in the form of conventional masking with foils
or adhesive tape.
[0016] The painting station that follows the pretreating station
primarily serves for painting the pretreated surface of the rudder
unit with multiple layers. In this respect, the paint includes a
base paint that defines the color of the surface. After the base
paint is at least dry to the touch, a clear paint is applied in
order to protect the paint from erosion and to simultaneously
produce a glossy surface. An infrared paint drying process is
carried out within the painting station immediately after the
painting process. For this purpose, infrared emitters that reach
the entire surface area of the rudder unit are installed at
suitable locations within the painting station.
[0017] The decorating station that follows the painting station
primarily serves for applying a letter or picture motif onto the
painted surface. This is preferably realized in the form of masked
spray painting. For this purpose, the surface preferably is
manually masked and a paint of contrasting color referred to the
base paint is subsequently sprayed on. The masking is ultimately
removed again and a paint drying process is carried out, preferably
also with infrared emitters.
[0018] An advantage of the above-described method with its
individual processing steps can be seen, in particular, in that the
processing times within each work station can be coordinated and
optimized in order to achieve an altogether shorter cycle time. The
inventive method simultaneously opens up a broad layout variety
with respect to letter and picture motifs that can be realized on
the surface of a rudder unit.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] Other measures that enhance the invention are discussed in
greater detail below in connection with the description of one
preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention that refers to the
figures. In the drawings:
[0020] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a processing
device for coating a rudder unit with three work stations, and
[0021] FIG. 2 shows a flow chart of the sequence of processing
steps of the processing device of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0022] According to FIG. 1, the processing device essentially
consists of three adjacent work stations, namely a pretreating
station 1 on the entry side, a downstream painting station 2 and a
decorating station 3 on the exit side. A rudder unit 4 is
cyclically transported from work station to work station in the
moving direction indicated by an arrow. For this purpose, parallel
transport rails 6 are recessed into the work floor 5, wherein a
mobile holding device 7 for the rudder unit 4 is arranged on said
transport rails. In this exemplary embodiment, the movement of the
rudder unit 4 from work station the work station is realized
manually.
[0023] In order to spatially delimit the adjacent work stations,
partition walls 8a to 8c are provided that respectively feature
(exemplary) door elements 9. The door elements 9 are realized in
the form of roller shutters and simultaneously opened during the
movement of the rudder units 4 between the work stations.
[0024] In order to coat the surface 10 of the rudder unit 4 on both
sides in an assembly line-like fashion, at least a surface
activation of the sanded surface 10 is carried out within the
pretreating station 1. Furthermore, a manual cleaning process is
also carried out. For this purpose, the pretreating station 1, as
well as the downstream painting station 2 and the decorating
station 3, are respectively equipped with a work platform 11 to
both sides of the rudder unit 4. In this exemplary embodiment, the
work platform 11 can be manually adjusted with respect to its
height by means of hydraulic actuators such that the specialized
personnel is able to reach the entire surface 10 to be processed. A
gantry robot 12 is respectively installed in each work station
behind the work platform 11 and carries out the automatic
processing steps in each work station. With respect to the
pretreating station 1, the automatic processing step consists of
spraying on a primer. The gantry robot 12 has three linear axes
that correspond to the spatial axes and can be adjusted
orthogonally to one another in accordance with a control. The
gantry robot 12 is able to reach the entire area of the surface 10
of the rudder unit 4. Depending on the processing step, a tool
change, for example, between different spray heads may also be
carried out.
[0025] In the painting station 2 that follows the pretreating
station 1, the surface 10 is painted with multiple layers, namely
with a base paint and then with a clear paint. A paint drying
process is carried out after each painting step by means of an
infrared emitter. The painting processes within the painting
station 2 are essentially carried out in a robot-assisted
fashion.
[0026] In the decorating station 3 that follows the painting
station 2, the painted surface 10 of the rudder unit 4 is masked in
order to subsequently apply the letter or picture motifs thereon by
means of spray painting. The masking is removed again prior to the
curing of the paint and the drying process is also carried out with
infrared emitters in this case.
[0027] All above-described work stations are realized in a closed,
cabin-like fashion in order to prevent the admission of dust
particles and the like, as well as to protect the environment from
escaping solvent vapors and the like.
[0028] FIG. 2 basically shows the coating method carried out by
means of the above-described processing device. In the initial
phase, a rudder unit with sanded primer is placed into the
pretreating station 1. At least a surface activation is carried out
within the pretreating station 1. In the downstream painting
station 2, the activated surface of the rudder unit is painted with
multiple layers immediately thereafter--i.e., without intermediate
storage--in order to apply the desired letter or picture motif of
contrasting color referred to the surface paint onto the painted
surface of the rudder unit during the last processing step within a
downstream decorating station 3. After each painting step, a drying
process is carried out by means of infrared irradiation. If the
paint should only be applied in a locally limited fashion, it is
required to carry out a manual intermediate step in the form of a
masking step realized with a foils and/or adhesive tape.
[0029] As a supplement, it should be noted that "comprising" does
not exclude other elements or steps, and that "an" or "a" does not
exclude a plurality. It should furthermore be noted that
characteristics or steps that were described with reference to one
of the above exemplary embodiments can also be used in combination
with other characteristics or steps of other above-described
exemplary embodiments. Reference symbols in the claims should not
be interpreted in a restrictive sense.
LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS
[0030] 1 Pretreating station [0031] 2 Painting station [0032] 3
Decorating station [0033] 4 Rudder unit [0034] 5 Work floor [0035]
6 Transport rails [0036] 7 Holding device [0037] 8 Partition wall
[0038] 9 Door element [0039] 10 Surface [0040] 11 Work platform
[0041] 12 Gantry robot
* * * * *